Johnson Wu: the chef who reinvented Asian fusion cuisine

Johnson Wu has been Excutive Chef at Bar Le Germain in the Le Germain Hotel Maple Leaf Square in Toronto for almost five years now but in the restaurant business for more than 10 years. While he has always offered a tasty and original menu, in the past year he has really let his creativity take over. He created a whole new take out menu with its own identity: the Wusian Fusian, as in Johnson Wu and “Asian Fusion”.

What started out as the name of Bar Le Germain's take out option has now become the chef's culinary signature.

‘’I would describe my dishes as simple, but flavourful. I don't like to do complicated things’’, says Johnson Wu, who cooks the food he enjoys himself. Shareable small plates that pair well with good cocktail and that you enjoy with friends. Simple, simple.

A style that fits perfectly with Bar Le Germain’s mission to offer elevated bar-style dishes.

On Johnson Wu's brand new Wusian Fusian menu, you'll find Taiwanese braised pork belly poutine, chicken popcorn with a mild chili sauce, a variety of fried chicken sandwiches and much more. According to the chef, the octopus with shishito pepper and the torched salmon with a Japanese lemon paste are among customer favourites.

Johnson particularly likes his horse tartare, which he serves with lemongrass, chili peppers and basil. ‘’You have never tasted a tartare like this’’, he says proudly.

Another great achievement of the past year? His Wusian Fusian brunch that debuted at the end of July 2021. ‘’This is not a traditional brunch. Don't expect to eat eggs with bacon and potatoes,” he admits, laughing.

There are, however, some classics that Johnson Wu revisited: umami fried chicken and waffles, an open omelet served on Filipino fried rice and eggs benedict with pork belly with a tamari hollandaise sauce.

In 2020, Johnson Wu did not only innovate in the kitchen. He also found the time to be more present on social media, mostly Instagram.

’’Last summer I really got into Instagram. I wanted to put my name out there, get some recognition locally. It was a challenge as I'm an hard core introvert. It has always been a goal of mine to work on my shyness and I think I'm getting better at it now.’’

On Instagram, Johnson films himself preparing certain recipes alone in the kitchen, such as kimchi fried rice, for example. This super simple concept made him gain a few thousand views and hundred of new followers, making him quite popular amongst Toronto’s foodies.

Come and taste Chef Johnson Wu's Wusian Fusian cuisine at Bar Le Germain and pair it with one of our exclusive cocktails made with Romeo’s gin while you’re there. Available indoors and on our gorgeous patio until fall.

Follow Johnson Wu on Instagram to see him experiment with new recipes.

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